When a new game in a beloved franchise is revealed or nearing release, fans will take a step back to appreciate its predecessor. When you apply this phenomenon in the context of The Legend of Zelda franchise, you get what’s called the “Zelda Cycle”. The Zelda Cycle insists that when a new main title is released, it is deemed a failure and fans will retroactively praise the one that came before it. Now, one can argue for days on the legitimacy of the Zelda Cycle and whether or not it even exists, but that’s not important to this article. The entire concept of the Zelda Cycle got me thinking about the last console game in the series- The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword.

In the past I have been a huge advocate for consumer rights in an industry that is increasingly trying to draw as much income from each player as possible. Now more than ever it has been important to be mindful of buying choices, and the power one can send by not supporting bad business practices while also being vocal about it. Which leads me to Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes.